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This Side of Paradise
(1920)
This is Fitzgerald's first novel, previously titled The Romantic Egoist, published to immediate success.
This book is as much about human nature, our understanding or lack of understanding of ourselves, and the ups and downs of modern society, as it is about setting, which is sometimes ill-percieved as the plot. I highly recommend reading this book because not only is it entertaining, but also useful towards our own reflection.--Submitted by Anonymous.
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This Side of Paradise
At first I liked it, then I lost interest. I went back and forth but, overall, I think it was very overrated. What do you think?
Posted By African_Love at Sun 7 Mar 2010, 2:58 PM in This Side of Paradise || 3 Replies
Title Meaning?
What is the meaning behind the title, in your opinion?
Posted By Dauntless at Tue 27 Oct 2009, 4:49 PM in This Side of Paradise || 1 Reply
My Side of Paradise...
is This Side of Paradise I'm no expert on literature, and I havn't read every classic. But I've never read a book that moved me as much as This Side of Paradise. It has slowly surpassed Pride and Prejudice as my favorite book, as it made me think intellectually more than anything else ever has. I love Amory's character, his arrogance and his pursuit of happiness struck me as the most real emotions one could describe. His relationship with the Monsignor reminded me of a similar relationship with a mentor, and I was continually intrigued by his references to becoming a Personage. Fitzgerald beautifully depicts Amory Blaine's shaky transcendence into adulthood and his honest feelings about the world. I, as some of you have previously mentioned, enjoyed This Side of Paradise much more than The Great Gatsby. I would agree though, that The Great Gatsby is perhaps a more solid book. But I think the at times irregularity of This Side of Paradise makes it that much better- the book is as real as it's subject.
Posted By Sophie Vodvarka at Thu 8 Jun 2006, 1:53 PM in This Side of Paradise || 5 Replies
No Subject
As a high school junior, I am writing a paper on the Lost Generation, of which Fitzergald was a part. I read This Side of Paradise 2 years ago and found it absolutely amazing, though it does not capture the Roaring Twenties as Gatsby does. I think any high school or college male could relate to Amory and any female could relate to experiences with guys like Amory. This was just one of the many reasons I have chosen to write a 30 page paper on this topic.
Posted By Torrie at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in This Side of Paradise || 0 Replies
amory is paradise
This is my lovely, humble opinion, that This Side of Paradise is a great literary work. Amory was the perfectly constructed bundle of contradictions. He was a bit on the shallow, narcissistic side, but insecure nevertheless. He made superficiality appealing to me. Egotism makes a comeback! Amory was arrogant, but it was at least bound to his intelligence. Somewhat.
You have to give him leeway for his erratic emotional state. He had various love losses that led to drinking. Because we all know that alcohol cures everything (note the sarcasm, please).
I'm likely to be the only person to think this was better than The Great Gatsby, which I had to write a book report/analysis thing on for my A.P. History class. Fun(again:the sarcasm.)
To sum it up, as I tend to babble, This Side of Paradise was amazing, I love Amory, he's awsome. Great plot, and has anyone seen the movie? If so, is it good?
p.s. if this seems stupid, immature, or just terrible, please take into acount that i'm a high school sophmore. thank you.
Posted By Unregistered at Wed 23 Oct 2002, 12:00 AM in This Side of Paradise || 5 Replies
No Subject
I would disagree with the person who said the book fails to capture the Roaring Twenties. All the themes of the twenties are here--the liberated woman, the tendency towards excess, etc. Remember, when this book hit the shelves women were using it virtually as a handbook. He not only captured the mind of a generation, he anticipated a movement. I think the reason this book is less well-liked than Gatsby, (other than the fact that it's not "clean" stylistically or grammatically), is because of the emotional fluctuations. It's easier to learn about the Twenties in the Great Gatsby without the meddling influence of Catholicism. Personally I like this book for more sentimental reasons--because I like to hold on to the vision of a young man pinning the chapters up to his curtains in his Minnesota home, and then quitting his job the day it was accepted for publication. All F. Scott wanted in his whole life was to be a writer, and this book carries all of his hope and youthful idealism in it.
Posted By Joy at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in This Side of Paradise || 0 Replies
Gainesville Fl.
I am recently doing a biography on Fitzgeralds writings and i injoyed this book. For anyone looking to read it, i would recomend it. I think that alot of writings people do are from their own state of mind, so who are we to criticize a work that you might not understand.
Posted By Nichole Pedrick at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in This Side of Paradise || 0 Replies
Inferior?
Yes, I found the book a bit slow, but it was worth it.
It seemed to me this book was less about the net worth of a generation, less about social understanding, and had everything to do with the education of Amory.
An interesting name to choose, also. Amory. Amo, Amore- To Love. Or the act of loving.
To presume that this book is about anything other then the main character is a vacant attempt to read the novel. It's a character study, but more importantly, it's the truth Amory comes to; Ultimately, he realizes that he is selfish, but intellegent, Loving, but lost, and all of these virtues are him. And the only thing he can do about anything is to be him, with no pretension as to anything else.
And when is self-discovery anything other than recognizing your place, your thoughts, and your ideals during your time period?
Sure, we can read this book and bring out of it a sense of Amory's generation- the American Riche of the teens and the twenties, as we could any novel of the time period. We could understanding the growth of a boy to a man, as we would any story spanning the length of a man (Or Woman's) life, but we miss the subleties of the novel if we generalize his work.
Posted By Kirstin at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in This Side of Paradise || 0 Replies
No Subject
This Side of Paradise is a wonderful book. It pertains to most young men. Armory is awesome with his egotistic attitude!!!!!! At least he makes something of himself in life. If you like drama books this is defiently one to read.
Posted By Unregistered at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:07 PM in This Side of Paradise || 0 Replies
Yawnsville...
I'd have to say This Side of Paradise was a tough read for myself, not because of the wording, but because it was so dry and boring. Amory is a fellow who tends to just overanylize things -- as is exeplified by his so-called romance with Isabelle -- that are emotional. He spends half the book thinking about emotions, and really doesn't come to any real conclusions of any pertinence until the last twenty or so pages. I have a long ways to go on learing to understand underlying meaning, I'll be the first to admit that, but FSF just took too long getting this party started.
Posted By Unregistered at Thu 17 Apr 2003, 12:00 AM in This Side of Paradise || 3 Replies